Community: Real Life

Carbon cop out


Mione Brackenborough

Mione, 21, is in her final year of uni. She loves spending time with her friends,travelling, partying and expressing her opinions.

Mione isn't convinced that our current efforts to curb global warming can make a real difference.

Problems with pollution and global warming have been bugging me for a while. I think the reason we aren't moving more quickly to deal with the issues is because we don't know how. We are ill-advised by the Government about how to reduce our carbon footprint as MPs seem to place far too much emphasis on how many cars with big engines they can get off the road. Take a reality check, Mr Brown, flash footballers who earn up to £100,000 a week don't care how much road tax you slap on their gas-guzzling cars.

I think it's laughable. Politicians are going to great lengths to persuade us not to use our cars and instead take public transport or cycle. What a great role model we saw in David Cameron when he started using his bike to cycle to work! Until we find out that he had his car follow him with his briefcase in it.

We are all aware that using our cars contributes greatly to global warming and many of us understand why we shouldn't be using them excessively. But, just as a suggestion, can we possibly focus on some green schemes that don't involve lining the pockets of politicians? In Tunisia for example, there was a government programme set up to encourage young people to clean up the environment by paying them to collect litter from the streets to take it for recycling. This strikes me as a fantastic way to keep the country clean and provide trust in the Government.

When the urgency of reducing the UK's carbon emissions first came to light I wanted to know what everyone else was doing. On a worldly scale we are a pretty tiny country and although we have a huge population we're not mentioned in the world's top 10 polluted places. It worries me that there's no serious action being taken in any of these places to address the impact their pollution has on the rest of the world.

"China created controversy this year by referring to the Olympics as the green games. But was it really? Just look at how many fireworks were let off at the opening ceremony."

China created controversy this year by referring to the Olympics as the green games. But was it really? Just look at how many fireworks were let off at the opening ceremony. Granted, they looked amazing but it won't be long before small pleasures like that are a thing of the past. With each blast chemicals are released into the air that are damaging to our health and environment. Maybe we should think twice before copying this dramatic fireworks display for London 2012.

There is a Chinese expression that says: "If you want to correct others you should first correct yourself." Our government seems to be taking this seriously but not in the correct way, while others are not taking notice at all. We all need to get up and open our eyes before it's too late and stop taking the lead from hypocritical so-and-so's who are doing no good at all.

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